Half Man review: Baby Reindeer creator's violent new series is brutal and 'unbearably intense' ★★★★☆
BBC • • general
Key Points:
- Richard Gadd's new series, Half Man, follows two step-brothers with a destructive, codependent relationship, exploring themes of masculine identity, violence, and sexual identity with intense and graphic storytelling.
- Unlike his autobiographical Netflix hit Baby Reindeer, Gadd plays the tormentor Ruben, whose troubled behavior deeply impacts his brother Niall, portrayed with emotional complexity by Jamie Bell.
- The series uses flashbacks to the late 1980s to reveal the brothers' traumatic pasts, highlighting the absence of positive father figures and the resulting warped sense of manhood.
- Half Man is praised for eliciting understanding and sympathy for its damaged characters without seeking pity, offering a culturally resonant and emotionally raw narrative.
- The show premieres on 23 April in the US on HBO and HBO Max, and on 24 April in the UK on BBC iPlayer, receiving a four-star review.
